Game Name: The Outer Worlds
DLC Name: Murder on Eridanos
Developer: Obsidian Entertainment
Publisher: Private Division
Release Date: March 17th, 2021
Price: $14.99 (Standalone), $24.99 (Expansion Pass)
Introduction
I must admit, I was on the fence about playing this. I do have the expansion pass but the previous DLC (Peril on Gorgon), left me disappointed. It could have been really fun but for me it fell kind of flat and it did not feel as if it fit as a DLC. It could have been a side quest within the actual game itself.
However, I saw on Twitter and Facebook that people seemed to like it and I wanted to give it a shot. So, I decided to play it on my stream and here is my review based on my experience.
Story
In this DLC, you continue to play the character from the base game, however this time you will put on your gumshoe hat as you will investigate a murder. One of the most popular actresses in serials, called Ruth Bellamy who plays the character of Halcyon Helen has been murdered.
The idea here is simple, you will be playing an episode of Murder, She Wrote. You will travel to a new destination called Eridanos and you will need to investigate who could have potentially killed the famous actress.
Gameplay
If you played the base game, you will know exactly how this DLC will play out. It does not stray away too far from the winning formula of the base game. For those who are not aware, this is a game that is played in first person vantage point.
What I liked is that, like the last DLC, your level will be cranked up to a max of 36. So that means that you can potentially upgrade 3 more times during this expansion.
You can pretty much stick to the weapon of choice, that you are used to. However, there are a few new weapons that are available, such as The Needler and the Nova Burst.
There is one tool in your toolbox that you did not have in previous games and it is only useful for this DLC and that is the Discrepancy Amplifier. This is basically a 2 in 1. You get the weapon equivalent of a magnifying glass and an energy weapon. The weapon itself is very sci-fi but it is cool to use. The only thing that I found a little disappointing was that you did not find any secrets with it. Everything that you find is related to the investigation. It is quite minor but I would have liked for that to be expanded a little more.
You can also have some armor upgrades that are unique to this DLC. These include the Burst Ambulation Cap, The Oxonian and the Rizzo's Rangers Tosser Uniform. Like I mentioned before, these are cool to find but you do not need to play the DLC. You can stick to the same weapons and armour from the base game.
There are 16 new main quests and 5 side quests, 3 faction quests and 4 tasks. So if you want to rush through the DLC and only play the main quests, you can do this easily. This is especially true if you maxed out on the base game. However, I would recommend to play all the side quests and main quests as they are really fun and it really adds depth to the DLC.
The Outer Worlds: Murder on Eridanos - Sample Gameplay
Bottomline
So the age old question, did I like the DLC? The answer is a surprising yes. Here are my reasons why.
The number 1 reason why I liked this DLC is the reason why I play games like these. I loved the story. As I mentioned before, it did feel like I was playing in an episode of Columbo or Murder, She Wrote. I appreciated that we were forced to talk to many different NPC's and interact with them. Trying to see if they are saying the truth was really fun.
Another reason why, I liked it is the various areas that you need to visit. Normally for a DLC, you are limited to one little area of a bigger map. However, here you have a new planet called Eridanos, but this planet has various floating areas connected with bridges. There is a lot of space to go to and investigate and that got me intrigued. There were times where I was just walking around trying to find out what I can loot and what houses that I could raid.
Similar to the base game, I love the NPC's. They are so funny and wonky that it makes every interaction entertaining. Also, each NPC that is part of the story are awesome. I loved speaking to each and every one of them as they brought their own personalities to the table. I found this much better than in Peril on Gorgon.
For players that are looking for a challenge, I am not sure that this will be for them. The reason is, if you are just looking around and finishing about 1/4th of the story, you will max out your 36 off the bat. I would suggest those who want a challenge, should start at a lower level like level 20. Being maxed out could take some people away from the experience. I for one was fine with it as I play for the story first and challenge second.
The DLC looks as beautiful as ever and having played this on the XBOX Series X, I can say, I love the reduced loading times. I cannot say how much of a better experience it is when you are not waiting for 2 minutes during every loading screen. I had played the base game on the OG XBOX One and the first DLC on the XBOX One S. What a difference the Series X makes. I can not emphasize that enough.
All that to say that this was an awesome 10 hour experience that felt like a true DLC. I am not a fan of DLC's normally. This one was entertaining enough and the story was pretty decent. I still maintain that The Outer Worlds with the DLC are still a great base for the second in the series if there is ever one. It is worth the money and the 24.99$ that it costs for the Expansion Pass even if only one of the DLC I think is worth it.
What did you think?
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